Title: Crossing
Author:
author_by_nightRecipient:
lunalovepotterCharacter(s): Molly, Ginny, Lily Potter II
Rating: PG
Warnings (highlight to view): Includes Potters 2.0 - in other words, follows epilogue canon.
Wordcount: 1,304 words
Summary: Three girls say goodbye to their brothers as it comes time to board the Hogwarts Express.
Author's Notes: I had a lot of fun writing this, so thanks for the prompts!
Betas: She knows who she is. She is extremely helpful. :D
1960
"I'm crossing! I'm crossing today!" Molly sang as she spun around in her new school robes.
"Crossing what?"
Gideon had wandered into her room. The four year old was staring at her trunk in curiosity;
Molly supposed he was still too young to understand.
"I'm going to King's Cross," Molly said. "Get it? Crossing?"
"No," Gideon replied.
Molly giggled. "It's a private joke."
"Where are you going??" Gideon asked.
"Hogwarts," Molly reminded him.
"Oh, the place with the silly name."
"Yes," Molly said. "I'm going to learn everything about magic."
"Can I come?"
"It's for people my age," Molly said, gently caressing his soft cheek with her finger. Part of her almost wished she could take him, just to see it for a few hours. He loved pictures of castles, and Hogwarts was even more majestic, from what she’d heard.
"When will you be back?"
"Christmas."
Gideon's eyes widened. "Christmas? That's forever away!"
"It's not that long," Molly remarked, surprised.
Gideon looked at the floor, and Molly realized that they were in the same house a total of twelve hours a day. Who would Gideon see every morning when he woke up? Who would read to him? Who would wake her up by imitating a rooster, something that always made Molly laugh even as she rubbed her eyes and moaned about being up too early?
Molly scooped Gideon up into her arms, just managing to keep her balance - she'd forgotten that he was big now. She stayed steady, however, and Gideon put his small arms around her neck.
"I'll be home soon," Molly promised. "Don't let anyone else read The Wizard and the Hopping Pot to you, okay? That's our special book."
"I won't," Gideon said resolutely.
"Molly! It's time to go!" Dad called from downstairs.
"Coming!" Molly called back.
For the first time, it actually felt real to Molly; she’d dreamed of Hogwarts for so long, and now it was really going to happen.
She took Gideon's hand. "Want to come to King's Cross with me?"
1987
Ginny sat on Bill's suitcase stubbornly, her arms crossed.
He was not going anywhere.
"Ginny," Mum had told her, "Bill has been going to Hogwarts almost all of your life."
"No, he hasn't," Ginny had insisted.
"Of course he has. You're just too young to remember."
"I'm almost six!"
"It's because we went away for two nights, and Bill was watching her with Charlie," Dad said quietly to Mum. Her parents always thought she wouldn't hear them talking about her if they spoke just low enough, even if she was facing them.
"They've been inseparable ever since," Mum agreed.
Ginny didn't care that Bill was always away. She knew he was, of course, she remembered him coming home, but she hadn't believed he was leaving. She didn't want him to go.
"We haven't been in-sep-table," Ginny insisted. Whatever inseparable meant, it most definitely didn't mean Bill was going to leave.
Mum laughed. "You remind me of your uncle Gi..."
For some reason, Mum stopped short. Dad put his hand on her shoulder, and for a moment, Ginny was a little worried.
"Why don't we get Bill?" Mum suggested, her face brightening.
"Honey, if we can't-" Dad began, but Mum was already walking out of the room. Ginny had to giggle as he followed her, although she quickly stifled it.
"What's going on?" Bill asked from the hallway. Ginny waited patiently.
"Your sister is revolting," Mum explained. "Against you leaving."
Bill walked into the room, and grinned. "Wow, you weren't joking about not letting me leave."
"I don't joke, the twins do," Ginny snapped.
Bill sat next to Ginny. "What's the matter, anyway? Charlie and I do this every September."
"But I want you to stay," Ginny said. "Who else will I play with?"
Bill laughed. "You have four other brothers still at home!"
Ginny shrugged. "They're different. Out of all my brothers, you are the very best."
"Ginny," Bill said softly, "I can't stay."
"Then let me come! I'll be good, I won't interrupt you in your classes or make faces if you kiss a girl like Fred did when Charlie brought home-"
"You're too young, and Mum and Dad would miss you too much," Bill interrupted. "But I’ll visit as often as I can.”
"Really?" Ginny asked.
"Really. But I bet you won't need me to when I do."
"Yes, I will."
Bill smiled. "I have a feeling that if you keep trying, Fred, George and Ron will let you play with them. And Percy already wants to play with you."
"He doesn't play, he does boring things," Ginny retorted.
"They're more fun than they look," Bill said. "Besides, did you know I was going to be so much fun this summer?"
"No," Ginny admitted.
"See? And Percy can be a lot of fun too," Bill said.
Ginny wasn't sure it was possible for Percy to be fun, but if Bill said so, it had to be true.
Bill stood up, and took Ginny's hands. She reluctantly let him lift her off the trunk.
"I'll be home before you know it," Bill told her.
"I know," Ginny said.
"Oh, and one last thing," Bill said. He knelt down, and began to whisper in her ear.
"If you get really bored, the broom shed never locks properly."
Ginny grinned.
2021
Lily looked from her packing list to her trunk, thinking and checking things off.
Glow-in-the-dark pyramid... check.
Nice robes... check.
Rainy afternoon robes... check.
Blank piece of parchment James said he wanted me to see but give back to him after I had a good look... check.
Necklace from Nan and Granddad... check.
Stuffed Hippogriff Hagrid gave me nobody can know I still sleep with... check.
"I think that's everything," Lily told Hugo.
"You're like my Mum," Hugo muttered, and Lily laughed.
Then she bit her lip.
Lily was thrilled about going to Hogwarts, there was no doubt about that; she couldn't wait to see if she and Paulette would be in the same House (hopefully, but it was okay if they weren't, friendship came before Hats), she couldn't wait to learn real magic, she couldn't wait to watch the Quidditch matches... everything about Hogwarts was exciting.
Except for one thing.
Lily had three brothers. Two of them were actually her brothers, and she loved them; she couldn't wait to start Hogwarts with them. She always missed James and Al when they left in September. But they always spent most of their time with one another and Rose; Lily, on the other hand, spent most of her time with her cousin.
Hugo was only a year younger, and he was the one who Lily could always count on to want to play or talk. Paulette was nice for girly things - Hugo had never wanted to play dolls, of course, and she couldn't tell Hugo which band members she had a crush on. But everything else was done with him.
"I wish I was starting this year," Hugo said.
"Me too," Lily told him. "I want you to come with me. Do you think if we tell everyone you and I are twins, they'll believe us?"
"Neville knows us," Hugo pointed out, "and so does Hagrid."
Lily sighed. "It's going to be weird. You and I are always together."
"We can write," Hugo said. "I mean, it won't be the same..."
"At all," Lily finished.
The two cousins at one another and embraced.
"I will write, though,” Lily promised with a bittersweet smile.
Hugo nodded. "Me too."
Lily heard whispering, and turned.
Mum and Nan were standing in the doorway, giving one another what seemed to be knowing glances.
"Well, at least Hugo didn't sit on your trunk," Nan said.
She nudged Mum, who rolled her eyes. Lily raised her eyebrows, wondering what the story was.
"Are you ready?" Nan continued. "It's a big day."
"We're ready - I mean, she's ready," Hugo corrected himself.
"Time to go to King's Cross!" Lily declared.
Hugo was right - they were ready.